Between the various programs planned on Netflix and the release of Jujutsu Kaisen 0 at the cinema, a big program that awaits the spectators.
Week after week, fans of The attack of the Titans follow the gradual outcome of the second part of season 4 (which has just been delayed). And whether on Netflix, Wakanim or Crunchyroll, a rich program still awaits anime fans in March.
1 solo kotaroon Netflix from March 10
Inspired by Mami Tsumura’s comic manga, Kotaro Lives Alone follows Kotaro Sato, an unusual boy who moves in on his own when he is only 4 years old. He settles in a residence where children are forbidden and meets his new neighbor, Shin Karino, an unsuccessful and completely broke mangaka. Attracted by this singular and touching work, Netflix places Kotaro in the spotlight in this month of March, a character “both adult and childish, whose wisdom begins to have an effect on the people around him”depending on the platform.
Considered as “Japan’s most heartwarming manga” by Netflix, Kotaro Lives Alone arrives in anime, with an adaptation entrusted to the studio Liden Films (tokyo revenge, Tribe Nine). Tomoe Makino (Woodpecker Detective’s Office) directed the production and the character design is by Tomomi Kimura (Kochoki). Pre-published by Shogakukan in the magazine Big Comic Superiorthe manga had already been the subject of a live action adaptation in April 2021 on the Japanese channel TV Asahi.
2 Adam by Eve: a live animationon Netflix from March 15
With an ever-expanding catalog, there are countless anime that highlight the world of music. But what happens when the latter coexists with that of the anime to create a unique experience? This is the answer that will Adam by Eve: a live animation. Inspired by the story of Adam and Eve, this animated film will be released simultaneously in theaters in Japan and on Netflix worldwide on March 15.
Full of mysteries and vibrant visuals, this work combines real life images, 3D computer graphics and 2D animation, all carried by the music of Japanese singer-songwriter Eve. As for the plot, we follow high school girl Aki, who finds herself in a family restaurant after school with her best friend Taki. The latter tells her about the dream she had last night, in which she was attacked by Hitotsume. Later, the girl goes away and never comes back. Aki then wanders around Tokyo in search of her friend. At the same time, many people start saying that they have seen Hitotsume in their dreams, prompting Aki to venture into this strange world as well. Guided by Taki’s voice to the fictional town of Shibuya, she cannot tell if she is in a dream or in reality, and does not know what she will encounter there.
3 East continues in March on Crunchyroll
Broadcast since the beginning of the year in simulcast on Crunchyroll, East is adapted from a manga by Shinobu Ôtaka, the author of Magi – The Labyrinth of Magic and Sumomomo Momomo. Published in Japan since 2018 in the Bessatsu Shonen Magazine by Kodansha, the work is available in France from Pika Édition (which will soon feature a funny hitman) under the title East – Samurai Quest. For fans, volume 9 is also expected on August 25th.
On the plot side, we are immersed in 15th century Japan. The world is in the hands of the oni, terrible demons yet revered as gods by the people, who are unaware of their evil nature. Only bushi, brave warriors, know the truth. But these fighters are treated as pariahs and condemned to live in shame, lest they overthrow the established order. This does not prevent Musashi from dreaming with Kojirô, his childhood friend and descendant of bushi, of one day succeeding in liberating Japan by putting an end to the yoke of the oni. Together, they swore to found the most powerful of the bushi clans.
4 One Piece: Strong World on Netflix from March 15
Released in 2009, it is one of the franchise’s most popular films. One Room and, good news for fans, it will soon be available on Netflix. In this adventure, Luffy and his crew sail the seas in search of the legendary treasure called One Piece and have to face many pirates. The most dangerous of them, Shiki the Golden Lion, thought to be dead, reappears 20 years later, determined to take his revenge on the whole world. To implement his Machiavellian plan, he kidnaps Nami, Luffy’s navigator and keeps her prisoner on Strong World, the wild island he created in the sky. Luffy and his companions will have to fight against an all-powerful nature and gigantic animals to free Nami. Very appreciated for its history and its fights, this feature film is above all the first One Room to have had the right to a release in French cinemas, where it had managed to attract more than 20,000 spectators. Moreover, it was at the time the first film entirely written by Eiichido Oda, emblematic creator of Luffy and company (which exploded all records with the recent volume 100).
5 Jujutsu Kaisen 0 in theaters from March 16
Prequel to the shōnen phenomenon created by Gege Akutami, the film produced by the MAPPA studio is directly adapted from The Tokyo School of Exorcism, a four-chapter manga first published in 2017. It tells the story of Yuta Okkutsu, a young man haunted by the spirit of his childhood friend who died in a tragic accident. A specter like no other, since the little girl takes the form of a monstrous creature that does not hesitate to attack anyone who would attack its host. That’s when Satoru Gojo, a teacher at Tokyo’s school of exorcism, appears and offers Yuta to teach him how to harness dark energy to deal with what’s haunting him. A real hit in Japan, to the point of entering the history of animated cinema, the film derived from the famous franchise is meeting French fans from March 16. While waiting for the release of season 2, probably for 2023, it is still possible to discover season 1 of Jujutsu kaisen on Crunchyroll and Wakanim.
6 Thermae Romae Novaeon Netflix from March 28
Adapted from the manga Thermae Romae by Mari Yamazaki, here is an anime that immerses us this time in ancient Rome. An architect specializing in the construction of thermal baths, Lucius Modestus finds himself in a declining phase due to old-fashioned ideas. But everything changes when he finds himself thrown into a 21st century Japanese public bath. Shocked by what he discovers, the architect will then take the opportunity to return to ancient Rome and improve the bathing experience, thus becoming a designer of successful baths. Already at work on Gloomy the Naughty Grizzly Where Infinite Dendrogam, it is to the animation studio Naz that returns the mission to adapt the creation of Mari Yamazaki. The latter also officiates on the anime as the composer of the soundtrack. For the most curious, the manga is published in France by Casterman and has six volumes.
7 Tokyo 24th Ward continues in March on Wakanim and Crunchyroll
Anime television series produced by CloverWorks, directed by Naokatsu Tsuda and written by Vio Shimokura, Tokyo 24th Ward has been broadcast since January 6, 2022 on the Wakanim and Crunchyroll platforms. On an artificial island in Tokyo Bay named Kyokutō Hōreigai Tokubetsu Chiku, childhood friends Ran, Koki, and Shuta hang out together in an area commonly known as District 24. Their lives are changed when their school catches fire. A fire that also tragically killed Koki’s sister, Asumi. Instead of collaborating, the friends argued over the best way to save her and Shuta went there headlong, unable to save her. Since then, the trio’s relationship has changed and they no longer see each other. Yet, a year after the incident, they receive visual messages from Asumi presenting them with life or death situations in which they must decide on a course of action to avoid as many deaths as possible.